Blade moving device, blade holding and changing apparatus and microtome

Abstract

A blade moving device includes: a support base; a linear bushing arranged in the support base; a moving block received in the support base and movably fitted over the linear bushing; a touch connector connected to the moving block and configured to move along with the moving block; and a blade box connected to the support base and configured to receive a blade therein. The touch connector is further configured to touch and push the blade to move out of the blade box when moving along with the moving block.

1 . A blade moving device, comprising:
 a support base;   a linear bushing arranged in the support base;   a moving block received in the support base and movably fitted over the linear bushing;   a touch connector connected to the moving block and configured to move along with the moving block; and   a blade box connected to the support base and configured to receive a blade therein, the touch connector being further configured to touch and push the blade to move out of the blade box when moving along with the moving block.   
     
     
         2 . The blade moving device according to  claim 1 , wherein the support base comprises:
 a bottom wall;   two opposite side walls arranged at two ends of the bottom wall and extending upwards from the bottom wall, respectively; and   a back wall arranged between the two opposite side walls and extending upwards from the bottom wall.   
     
     
         3 . The blade moving device according to  claim 2 , wherein two ends of the linear bushing pass through the two opposite side walls of the support base and fixed therein, respectively;
 wherein the moving block has a unthreaded hole therein, and the linear bushing extends through the unthreaded hole.   
     
     
         4 . The blade moving device according to  claim 2 , wherein the blade box is connected to the back wall of the support base and defines a receiving groove therein to receive the blade,
 wherein the touch connector comprises:
 a first section connected to the moving block and arranged parallel to the bottom wall of the support base; and 
 a second section extending upwards from the first section and facing towards the blade box. 
   
     
     
         5 . The blade moving device according to  claim 4 , wherein the second section of the touch connector is inclined with respect to the back wall of the support base, a part of a surface of the blade box facing towards the second section of the touch connector is inclined to be parallel with the second section, and the receiving groove is formed in the part of the surface of the blade box. 
     
     
         6 . The blade moving device according to  claim 5 , wherein the touch connector further comprises a touch protrusion protruding from the second section of the touch connector towards the receiving groove, and the touch protrusion is configured to extend into the receiving groove, abut against an end of the blade and push the blade to move out of the blade box when the touch connector moves along with the moving block. 
     
     
         7 . The blade moving device according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a motor arranged on the bottom wall of the support base and comprising a driving shaft passing through one of the two side walls of the support base;   a lead screw received in the support base and having two ends passing through the two opposite side walls of the support base and fixed therein, respectively;   two timing belt pulleys arranged close to the side wall of the support base through which the driving shaft passes, one of the two timing belt pulleys being arranged to the driving shaft of the motor, and the other one of the two timing belt pulleys being arranged to the lead screw; and   a timing belt fitted over the two timing belt pulleys.   
     
     
         8 . The blade moving device according to  claim 7 , wherein the moving block has a threaded hole therein, and the lead screw extends through the threaded hole. 
     
     
         9 . The blade moving device according to  claim 8 , wherein the lead screw has external threads, the threaded hole has internal threads, and the lead screw is threadedly fitted in the threaded hole via the external threads and the internal threads and configured to drive the moving block to move. 
     
     
         10 . The blade moving device according to  claim 1 , wherein the blade moving device further comprises an operation member arranged to the touch connector and configured to be operated to move the touch connector. 
     
     
         11 . The blade moving device according to  claim 10 , wherein the operation member is arranged on a surface of the touch connector facing away from the blade box. 
     
     
         12 . The blade moving device according to  claim 10 , wherein the operation member is integral with the touch connector. 
     
     
         13 . A blade holding and changing apparatus, comprising:
 a blade holder configured to clamp a used blade;   a used blade box connected to the blade holder and configured to receive the used blade to be removed out of the blade holder; and   a blade moving device comprising:
 a support base; 
 a linear bushing arranged in the support base; 
 a moving block received in the support base and movably fitted over the linear bushing; 
 a touch connector connected to the moving block and configured to move along with the moving block; and 
 a blade box connected to the support base and configured to receive a blade therein, the touch connector being further configured to touch and push the blade to move out of the blade box when moving along with the moving block; 
   wherein the used blade box and the blade moving device are arranged to two opposite sides of the blade holder, respectively, and the blade moving device is configured to receive an unused blade therein and move the unused blade towards the used blade to replace the used blade with the unused blade.   
     
     
         14 . The blade holding and changing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the blade holder comprises:
 a base; and   a blade clamping unit arranged on the base and configured to clamp the used blade,   wherein the blade moving device, the blade clamping unit and the used blade box are arranged in a straight line so that the unused blade is aligned with the used blade.   
     
     
         15 . The blade holding and changing apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the blade clamping unit comprises:
 a clamping seat having a top surface;   a clamping plate covered on the top surface of the clamping seat and rotatably connected to the clamping seat via a rotation shaft;   a clamping push head received in the clamping seat, extending out of the top surface of the clamping seat and configured to move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the top surface of the clamping seat; and   a drive member received in the clamping seat, connected to the clamping push head and configured to drive the clamping push head to move.   
     
     
         16 . The blade holding and changing apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the top surface of the clamping seat comprises two oblique segments inclined at different angles,
 wherein one end of the clamping plate is connected to the clamping seat via the rotation shaft, the one end of the clamping plate has an inclined surface matched with a corresponding one of the two oblique segments of the top surface of the clamping seat, so as to define a gap therebetween, and the gap is configured to receive the used blade and/or the unused blade therein, in which the corresponding one of the two oblique segments is inclined at a larger angle than the other one of the two oblique segments with respect to the base.   
     
     
         17 . The blade holding and changing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the clamping push head has a free end configured to push the other end of the clamping plate away from the top surface of the clamping seat, in which the other end of the clamping plate faces away from the one end of the clamping plate. 
     
     
         18 . A microtome, comprising:
 a blade holding and changing apparatus comprising:
 a blade holder configured to clamp a used blade; 
 a used blade box connected to the blade holder and configured to receive the used blade to be removed out of the blade holder; and 
 a blade moving device comprising:
 a support base comprising: a bottom wall, two opposite side walls arranged at two ends of the bottom wall and extending upwards from the bottom wall, respectively, and a back wall arranged between the two opposite side walls and extending upwards from the bottom wall; 
 a linear bushing arranged in the support base; 
 a moving block received in the support base and movably fitted over the linear bushing; 
 a touch connector connected to the moving block and configured to move along with the moving block; 
 a blade box connected to the support base and configured to receive a blade therein, the touch connector being further configured to touch and push the blade to move out of the blade box when moving along with the moving block, wherein the used blade box and the blade moving device are arranged to two opposite sides of the blade holder, respectively, and the blade moving device is configured to receive an unused blade therein and move the unused blade towards the used blade to replace the used blade with the unused blade; 
 a motor arranged on the bottom wall of the support base and comprising a driving shaft passing through one of the two side walls of the support base; 
 a lead screw received in the support base and having two ends passing through the two opposite side walls of the support base and fixed therein, respectively; 
 two timing belt pulleys arranged close to the side wall of the support base through which the driving shaft passes, one of the two timing belt pulleys being arranged to the driving shaft of the motor, and the other one of the two timing belt pulleys being arranged to the lead screw; and 
 a timing belt fitted over the two timing belt pulleys; 
 
   an operator interface unit configured to receive an input and generate an instruction according to the input; and   a control unit coupled to the blade holding and changing apparatus and the operator interface unit, and configured to receive the instruction from the operator interface unit and control the blade holding and changing apparatus according to the instruction.   
     
     
         19 . The microtome according to  claim 18 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
 control the motor to drive the moving block to move in a first direction along the linear bushing, to drive the touch connector to move towards the blade holder, so as to push the unused blade to move towards the used blade; and   control the motor to drive the moving block to move in a second direction until the touch connector returns to its original position, after the used blade is replaced with the unused blade, in which the second direction is opposite to the first direction.   
     
     
         20 . The microtome according to  claim 18 , wherein the operator interface unit comprises at least one of a mechanical button or a liquid crystal display or a light emitting diode or a flexible display with control functions.